Michael Clarke opens up about his mental health struggles

Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has shared candid details about his mental health struggles, revealing that he experienced severe sadness and depression but never sought a formal diagnosis. 

Speaking on a podcast, Clarke described periods when he was so depressed he couldn’t move from his bed for days.

Clarke, who retired after leading Australia to victory in the 2015 ODI World Cup and now works as a commentator, admitted he never pursued a medical diagnosis for his mental health issues. Despite feeling deeply sad and overwhelmed, Clarke chose not to consult a doctor or seek medication.

"I have never been checked; I think it is a given. It is like ADD [attention deficit disorder, it’s a given. Definitely, ask my parents; you don’t need to take me to a doctor. I’ve certainly been extremely sad, devastated, floored, can’t move for days, and can’t get out of bed. I've lost family members and a couple of my closest friends, so I think I’ve felt the deepest sadness, but I think it was sadness,” Clarke said.

“I don’t know if it was depression. I’ve never gone to a doctor to be diagnosed with depression, for example, or to seek medication for depression," he further added.

In his conversation, Clarke also contrasted his personal choices with those of his Australian cricket peers like Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Mark Taylor. He noted that unlike them, he embraced his individuality by getting tattoos, piercings, and even buying a Ferrari. Clarke said he made decisions based on what he wanted, even if they didn’t align with his peers' choices.

"I don’t think any of those three have tattoos, have an earring, dye their hair, or, you know, play a handful of Test matches and want a Ferrari, so I went and bought one.  I did what I felt. Those decisions that I made that probably people didn’t agree with were fair enough as well,” he concluded.